HSBC has refunded a scam victim after he complained to the bank about its handling of the case.
Geoff Harris lost more than £3,000 in a text scam but, after informing HSBC, the bank was initially only able to recover £40, which Harris described as “a pretty pathetic performance”.
However, when Harris got in touch with FT Adviser, HSBC conducted a new review of his case and, after receiving new information, offered a full refund of his lost funds.
Explaining how he lost the money, Harris received a text from someone claiming to be his daughter using a new phone.
“My relationship with my daughter has been quite difficult, we haven’t actually spoken for quite some time but I have helped her out with cash before,” he explained.
He said the scammer pretended that his daughter had a new phone and tried to install a banking app, but the bank’s security had prevented them from accessing the account.
“I ended up transferring £3,042.34 over the bank holiday weekend,” he said.
However, Harris “started getting suspicious” on Easter Monday and called his daughter on her old telephone number where she told him the scammer’s claims were “completely false”.
Mitigating circumstances
While Harris fully accepted that there were “warnings” from HSBC when he initially transferred the cash, he argued there were some mitigating circumstances which HSBC did not initially take into account.
“I accept there were warnings but my anxiety about my relationship with my daughter, and the need to help her out, effectively triggered my OCD which I have been battling with for quite some time,” he explained.
“I am medically diagnosed and I'm on medication, and I don’t think HSBC paid sufficient attention to these circumstances.”
Harris also spoke on how effective the scam was as: “The scammer cleverly told me my daughter had a new phone, which is par for the course as she tended to change phones quite often."
“I do not feel in these circumstances the bank can accuse me of acting with gross negligence because this whole situation has been influenced and coloured by a sensitive and difficult family relationship and I have never fallen victim to a scam before,” he argued.
Complaint handling
Harris additionally said he did not have confidence that HSBC took his claim particularly seriously.
“When I called to complain about their response, I had to check with them several times that the bank was aware I suffered with mental health issues,” he said.
He added that, given the difficulties he is struggling with at the moment and given his complicated relationship with his daughter: “I don’t think I’ve displayed gross negligence.”
“The scammer very cleverly posed as my daughter, and yes I fell for it, but I still do not feel this is an example of gross negligence on my part.
